To say that mobile marketing is exploding is an understatement. With consumers and businesses alike utilizing their devices for everything from playing a game to making major business purchases, marketers cannot ignore that mobile has to be a part of their plans and budget. Mobile is not only a different animal than traditional forms of marketing, but also than it’s older digital sibling. The game has changed once again, so we’ve created a guide to help you navigate the waters ahead.

Overview

Mobile marketing is advertising via cell phone, smartphone, tablet, or any other such device connected wirelessly to the Internet. Unlike traditional mass marketing, mobile marketing is most likely to be user-initiated; consequently, you are already targeting an audience interested in and predisposed to buy your products and services.

Another unique characteristic of mobile marketing is that it targets consumers based not only on their personal buying patterns and interest profiles, but also their geographic location. Thus, diners interested in Indian cuisine can receive an alert whenever they are near an Indian restaurant when it’s time for lunch or dinner. Read the full entry

The phrase “content marketing” is thrown around like a beanbag in the world of digital media. Some praise the concept as the savior to their revenue problems, claiming the creation of blog posts and eBooks is the only viable way to generate leads. Others argue it’s all hocus-pocus. With so many different opinions and claims running rampant online, it’s no surprise marketing teams are confused as to the proper meaning of content marketing and its true power. A handful of content marketing “myths” have arisen as a result, and we’re here to debunk them. Read the full entry

Retargeting is becoming a more prominent tool for marketers as buyers pull their purse strings tighter and are becoming more educated on their own before making a decision. Businesses want to be at the forefronts of the minds of their audience and retargeting campaigns generate constant brand awareness and impressions. The Chango Retargeting Barometer found that 53% of marketers and agencies intend to increase their search retargeting budgets in the next six months, while 46% of marketers and agencies intend to increase their site retargeting budgets in the next six months. In this post, we break down the what, why and how of retargeting. Read the full entry

We hear it all the time, read it on every marketing blog and in every advertising magazine. When it comes to buyers, your success is dependent on how effective your business’s content is in driving awareness, engagement and profits. On average B2B marketers spend 28% of their overall budget on content marketing (Tweet this stat!), according to research from B2B Marketing. Content marketing can drive brand awareness, quality leads, and boost customer engagement. Content marketing can’t be ignored because it’s what buyers want throughout the purchase process. In the B2B space, your content marketing delivery could be the make it or break it moment. Let’s take a look at what the B2B Marketing study found and what your business can take away. Read the full entry

Digital advertising revenues continue to climb and more marketers are moving towards digital mediums instead of more traditional channels. In fact, a recent study from IAB found that display advertising revenues totaled $12 billion in 2012 (Tweet this!) and banner ads account for a large percentage of that. While some may be hesitant about investing in new display advertising campaigns, many may not be really evaluating their display ad strategy and optimizing their company’s spend. Here are some common display advertising mistakes and how you can avoid them to boost your CTRs and ROI. Read the full entry

Customer retention and recurring revenue keep businesses afloat, but in order for a business to really prosper new customers must be acquired on a regular basis. According to Chief Marketer’s 2013 Prospecting Survey, 41.5% of marketers cited finding new customers as the primary goal of their lead prospecting efforts in 2013 (Tweet this stat!) and nearly half of all marketing budgets are focused on new customer acquisition. Prospecting, one of the most important steps in the sales process, is a focus for many, but sometimes strategies fall short of success. If your business is on the prowl for new prospects, consider taking these three steps to be more powerful. Read the full entry

B2B marketers need to stay on top of purchase trends to get ahead when it comes to connecting with buyers. The buyer process continues to shift as buyers become more informed about the investments they’re considering before they even hop on the phone with someone in sales. While more than 95% of all corporate buyers want a salesperson to be involved in the sales process, the B2B buyer space isn’t the same as it used to be. With the wealth of information available to buyers online, buyers are becoming more independent. Recent studies indicate that the B2B buyer space is experiencing some shifts and new trends are emerging.Read the full entry

B2B buyers are using content to research products, services and vendors. Buyers want the content and marketers are delivering it. In fact, many are now spending more than 25% of their budgets on the development, delivery and promotion of content to drive business leads, influence markets and build brand awareness. A new study by the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council found that 87% of B2B buyers said online content has either a major or moderate impact on vendor preference and selection (Tweet this!). If your business aims to use content to reach new audiences, influence current prospects and close sales, consider these facts, figures and fundamental practices your business needs to be aware of. Read the full entry

Many studies have shown that the faster a company responds to a lead, the more likely that company is to close. One survey found that responding to a completed form within 5 minutes versus 10 minutes led to a 900% increase in contact rate (Tweet this!). In a recent study by InsideSales, companies were asked about how they respond to leads, focusing on lead response time, persistence, ratio between phone calls and emails, and what method companies use to make their first response. What this study found is that many companies are overestimating their lead response efforts. Here’s what the study found and steps your business can take to improve lead response contact rate and conversions. Read the full entry

It’s all about the numbers: social followers, email subscribers, and conversions. Conversions: a keyword for marketers looking to validate their efforts. Landing pages play a role in the conversions rate and many marketers are well aware of the term “above the fold” when it comes to their design. Often times, businesses will include their key product or offering and a clear call-to-action in this section of their landing page. Some marketers are wary of longer pages due to more aggressive sales techniques. However, the “right” page length will vary from business to business so testing is a must. When it comes to your longer landing pages, analyze the way your users scroll and know your metrics before getting started. Read the full entry